With only 10 minutes of prep time and a full 8 hours in the slow cooker, this hearty chowder can come together first thing in the morning to be ready for dinner that night. A crunchy side salad will round out the meal and add very little additional preparation. The key ingredient to making this rich soup base for the sweet delicious crab is the dried potato flakes. During the slow cooking process these will expand and become a creamy thickened broth. You can easily substitute chopped chives or parsley for the sage. If you want to splurge on lump crab meat for meatier chunks, this is the recipe for it! Leftovers transport easily in a thermos for a filling and special lunch.